All Those Times You Were There
by AngelaLynd
Summary: Tony and Sarah have always been best friends. Explore certain points throughout their friendship they were there for one another, through the good times and the bad ones.
1. To Get To Know You

Please Note: I started writing this 3 years ago and left it unfinished, so now I've been adding new chapters to it. I always loved Tony's relationship with Sarah! Some of the characters' situations involved are entirely fictional. More to come and reviews greatly appreciated!

* * *

**1)A New Guy In The House**

"Sarah! Come on outside! There's someone I'd like you to meet!", her mother's voice comes across the hall.

Sarah has been lying on her bed for the past hour, just relaxing, gazing on the TV screen. Meg's words confuse her, wondering what trouble she has gotten herself into this time. Putting aside all of her thoughts, she stands up and heads towards the living room. On her way, she can hear her mother laughing in the background. She slowly walks towards her voice.

"Hey…there you are! Sarah, this is Tony. Tony, Sarah."

"Hey", sais Tony.

Sarah nods. She now gets her first glimpse of him. Tall and thin, with short brown hair, a strand falling over his right eye. His smile seems warm, intimate.

"Tony is a friend of mine. And he's a doctor, so he'll take care of you whenever you need it.", she smiles, tapping him on the back.

Sarah doesn't reply.

"Hey, why don't you both come to the kitchen, I'll make you something to eat, I know I'm starving!"

Tony and Sarah follow her. Sarah isn't surprised, nor interested at all. It's just another guy Meg would date for a week and then forget about. She doesn't want to give the wrong impression so she decides to avoid any sharp sarcastic comments towards her mother.

They both sit down on the small round table while Meg prepares sandwiches.

"So, where did you guys meet?", Sarah asks.

"Uh, we met about a week ago. Remember? That your grandma broke her arm and we had to bring her to the hospital? Tony was on duty that day."

"Oh. Yeah I remember.", she replies, lowering her look.

Tony knows this is a bit awkward for her. It's so easy to tell. He decides it would be good to try and break the ice.

"You know, Meg has told me a lot about you. How much you love football, and that you want to become a nurse when you grow up…"

"Well, I'm not sure, but I'm considering it.", she nodds.

"Well, maybe you could come to the hospital sometime, see how the nurses work, or shadow me if you want. You can see how things work in there, figure out if you like it. Really, whenever you can, you're welcome to join us."

"Thank you". Tony manages to earn a smile.

"Here you go", Meg each hands a sandwich.

"Oh, Mom, Kate is coming over tonight, okay?"

"Sure, of course honey. What time?"

"Around seven. Her mom will pick her up afterwards."

"Ok. Would it mind if Tony and I were around or do you want us to leave?"

"No, it's ok, do your thing. I can't ban you from staying in."

Tony smiles.

The three of them finish eating and Sarah goes back to her room. She puts her headphones in and finds herself in her own little world. Tony seems okay, putting aside the fact he is really handsome. _Ha, good choice Mom_…

Sarah lets some time pass by watching TV. She then phones one of her friends and kills a couple of hours by talking about school, friendships and gossiping. Just the usual stuff.

After a while the bell rings. It's Kate.

Her and Sarah stay on the living room, talking their own stuff. Kate spotted Tony, but couldn't ask who he was until he and Meg left the room. After that, Sarah explains he is Meg's new boyfriend.

"Is he any good? I mean, he looks pretty handsome."

"Well, we talked a bit but…you can't be sure. I hope he turns out to be good. He's a doctor so…I don't know. He seems okay. But so did all the other boyfriends mom brought at home..."

"Look, just give the man a chance. Don't sort him out too early.", she laughs.

"Guess you're right…"


	2. Something's Wrong

**2)Sick**

_ One week later…_

"How was your date?", Sarah's voice comes across the living room.

"It was fun. He took me to my favourite restaurant and he paid for dinner."

"Wow…", Sarah's sarcasm is now head obvious.

"Look, don't you like Tony? What has he done to you? You know, when we started knowing each other, I thought that you'd really like him... He wasn't like the others, when they'd found out I've got a daughter they'd run off. Tony liked you very much and he's looking forward to seeing you every time!", she yells.

"Yeah, mom, I just can't bare it anymore, I can't! Next month it'll be some other guy, and the month after that, another one! Don't you see it? Since Dad left us you really lost your limits…"

Meg is left speechless.

"...Look... I'm sorry if he bothers you so much, I'll try and keep him out of the house."

"Whatever…"

Sarah rushes back to her room. She knows what she said to her Mom was rather selfish. But she won't apologize. She still isn't over her parent's break up. And she just can't bare another guy who would come and go. He would remind her of her own Dad.

* * *

_ The day after…_

"Hey, how was school today?"

"As always…", replies Sarah, who had just arrived at home. She throws her bag on the floor and sits on the kitchen table. 'What's for lunch?"

"Mac and cheese." Meg hands her a full plate.

"So what did you -ghh- do today?

"Oh well, I run some errands, paid the bills, went shopping…Bought you the cookies you like."

"Oh –ghh- good, thanks."

"Honey, you okay? You've been coughing like that all day?"

"Yeah…it's okay, it's probably the flu, a bunch of kids had it at school, I'll survive."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah Mom." Sarah sounded reassuring.

"Okay."

* * *

"Hey…are you asleep?"

Sarah doesn't respond.

"Honey, you haven't left your bed all afternoon…I am worried. How much did you sleep last night?"

"I slept well I just…I'm a bit tired, I wanna sleep." She matters under her teeth.

"Oh, wait a minute…" Meg goes a little closer and touches her forehead with one hand. "You're on fire! How long have you been having this fever?"

"It just started half an hour ago, I'm fine…"

"Hold on…", Meg stands up and leaves the room. She comes back two minutes afterwards with a thermometer in her hands.

"Put this down your shoulder"

"Mom…"

"Just do it."

Sarah doesn't have the strength to fight back, so she follows her mother's orders.

"103…Listen. I'm gonna call Tony to come and check on you."

"No, Ma!"

"Just not to be worried, that's all…"

"No Mom, don't you dare! I don't want his hands anywhere near me! Okay?", she demands.

"Okay, okay fine, relax, I'll just sit here with you and make sure you're alright, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now get some sleep."

_That very night none of them slept. Sarah was up vomiting all night. Once morning came, she was so tired she'd fallen asleep._

* * *

"Tony, Hi…"

_"Hey Meg, how are you? You're sounding a little bit off… Are you okay?"_

"I'm okay. Hey listen…I need a favour."

_"Yes, of course."_ Tony starts getting worried.

"It's Sarah, she's sick. She's been up vomiting all night long, and her cough sounds serious. But I'm no expert, so I thought you could take a look at her, maybe?"

_"What? Of course! Can you bring her to the hospital or should I come over?"_

"I don't know, whatever is best."

_"Okay. Why don't you bring her over. I'll take better care of her here."_

"Okay, I'll be there in half an hour."


	3. Trust Me I'm A Doctor

Meg rushes into the emergency lobby, dragging Sarah behind her.

"Hi. I need to see Dr Gates?"

"No, Mom let me go, I told you I don't want him to examine me, don't you understand? God!..." , she tries to free herself from her mom's grip.

"Um…do you want me to page him?", Jerry, the clerk, asks.

"Yes, please."

"God, Mom you're so unfair, I TOLD YOU! Let's just go to another doctor. I DON'T want HIM!"

Meg pulls her daughter a little further away from the admit desk."Sarah, if I get you to another doctor he's not going to care as much as Tony will, and I want the best for you, don't YOU understand?...", she whispers.

Sarah was ready to break down at that point.

Meg grabs her arm and walks her towards Tony, who is finally approaching.

"What's wrong? Sarah, you okay?" he asks, a worried look on his face.

"I'm fine, I caught the flu", she responds, trying to get her head away from Tony's hands.

"Well, let's see, don't you want me to take a look at you, make sure it's only just that?", he proposes, looking at her in the eyes.

Sarah doesn't respond, she looks away and sighs.

"But, just by looking at you, and the fact that you've been vomiting all night, it doesn't seem as something to be taken lightly. Let me help you out, Sarah." ,he requests, extending his hand towards her.

"Fine…" she sais, still not looking at him.

"That's my girl…" he smiles at her. "Come on, let's find a room for you. Meg you'll wait for us until we're finished?"

"Sure! Thanks.", she smiles.

"No problem. Hey, Sarah, is it fine with you? Or do you want your Mom in?" ,his hand resting on her shoulder.

"It's fine."

"It's not gonna take long, anyway. Hey Jerry, what's open?"

"Exam room 3."

"Thanks." Tony puts his arm around Sarah's back and leads her to the room. Meg follows them but stays outside.

"Okay, let's check you out, take a sit.", he instructs, patting on the exam table.

Sarah does as he sais.

"How long has this cough been going on?", he asks with a tone that indicates concern.

"It started two days ago, I guess…"

"Okay, and the fever? Just today?"

"Started with the cough. Last night it got worse." Apparently Sarah wouldn't resist any more. She understood she needed help.

"Okay. I'm going to help you, don't worry.", he sais, caressing her cheek.

Tony puts the ear pieces of his stethoscope in his ears and leans over her, while placing the other end over Sarah's back.

"Just relax…take a few breaths for me", sounds his soothing voice.

Once he's done, he proceeds to listening her heartbeat. Sarah manages to calm down and seems to realize that this man was there to help.

"Okay…I hear a little bit of whizzing in your lungs…Let's take a look at your glands…", he sais, while placing his hands down her jaw.

"This might feel slightly uncomfortable…sorry. You need to bare with me, Sarah."

Sarah didn't like people touching her like that. She didn't like having no man's hands all over her. But this wasn't any man. She knew him. He'd been anything but bad towards her. She just hadn't let herself a chance to like Tony, because she thought he would turn out to be another failure who wanted to have sex with her mom until he got bored and left. But apparently, he was still there.

"Has your stomach been giving you any trouble?"

"No. Just the vomiting."

"No pain anywhere else?"

"No, not really, just my throat and…when I breathe, I don't know, it's hard breathing deep."

"Okay, okay." He takes a sit right next to her.

"Well, that whizzing I heard…and your symptoms…it could be from something like the flu to early stage pneumonia. This can get really worse in a matter of hours, so I'd like to take a CT of your lungs to rule out anything serious, and then start your treatment. Alright?"

"Oh my God, pneumonia? Isn't that bad?"

"It's worse than the flu, but let's not jump to any conclusions until the diagnosis is ready." He gives her a smile. "I'm also gonna need to draw some blood…what's your relationship with needles?", he asks, while standing up to get the tools needed.

"It's okay…", she nods.

"You sure?", he looks at her.

"Yeah."

"Okay…", he sais, taking a sit in front of her.

He puts on a pair of gloves and prepares the needle, when he notices Sarah's staring. He lifts her sleeve up all the way and cleans the area. He then places the tourniquet tightly.

"Okay, I will need you to take a deep breath in before I start. trust me, it's not as bad as you think it is, actually the thought of everything is always scarier than the real thing."

Sarah nods.

"Okay. Ready? Take a deep breath for me.", he instructs, slowly inserting the needle. "Good. Almost done. There you go… Well done little kid." He secures a bangage over it and takes his gloves off.

"Ready for a CT?"

Sarah nods. She then follows him outside the room, where her mom had been waiting.

"Hey, why don't you go get yourself a cup of coffee, I'll get Sarah to do some tests."

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm just going to find out."


	4. You'll Be Okay

"Rise and shineee…", Tony's voice sounds as he gets in Sarah's hospital room. "How you doin' today? You got some rest?", he asks, taking a sit on the side of the bed. He knew it might make her uncomfortable, but he wanted Sarah at some point to understand that she could trust him and that he was there for her.

"Still the same… I think my fever is down…for now at least."

"I hook you up to some antibiotics when you were sleeping. Your results came back. They're all negative for anything serious. It's probably something you caught at school. Do you remember any kids being sick?"

"Um…No, not really."

"Well, it's most certainly a bad case of flu, we're going to keep you here as a precaution and monitor your situation, but I think you're going to be just fine.", he sais, smiling.

She smiles back.

"Where's my Mom?"

"Oh, she's here, I saw her a few minutes before, I think she went to eat something for breakfast. I'll call her right now-", Sarah starts coughing and gasping for air.

"Okay, okay, okay, let me take a look.", he places his stethoscope ends into his ears and gently pushes her from behind into a sitting position."Relax… breathe through your nose, if you can.", he listens through it. He places his other hand over her shoulder.

"That's it…in…and out…on my count, in…and out…"

Sarah manages to calm down in a minute.

"It's okay, it's not worse than it was before. It just needs some time to heal…. And it needs you to take some rest and stop worrying about any little thing going on in your mind, okay? I'll go get your mom."

* * *

"Sarah has been feeling much better… Thank God it wasn't something serious! You always get worried when it's your kid right?" ,Meg is chatting with Tony at the hospital cafeteria, the same afternoon.

"Right."

"I-I don't know how to thank you for doing this…You took really good care of her…"

Tony enfolded her hand between his own.

"You're thanking me right now. I don't need anything else… I'm glad that Sarah is okay. She's a real good kid."

"She's started being okay with you, that's a very good sign. In the beginning I thought she'd never like you. Not because it's you, but… it's just hard to gain her trust. And it's probably my fault… She hasn't really have a stable father figure in her life, and I'm sure it's difficult to accept a strange man that your mom's dating in your house…", she laughs.

"I know Sarah has been through a lot in her life. But I'm sure she knows that whenever she needs anything, she can count on you. You may have done some mistakes, but you're human. She gets that. She loves you, Meg." A tear sheds down her cheek and Tony gently wipes it out.

"Thank you, Tony."


	5. Ignorance

**3)Teach me to be strong**

"Mom, I'm home!", Sarah rushes through the hallway to her room.

"Hey, how was your-", (the door sounds slamming behind her) "…day…?"

Meg walks to her room. "Sweety, you okay?", she sais knocking the door. She tries to open it, but it is locked from the inside. "Sarah! Open up!".

But Sarah doesn't respond

* * *

"She's been like this for days now, Tony, I'm desperate. She hasn't behaved like this before and I don't know what to do…"

_"Meg, she's 14 years old, it's a difficult age. She's a teenager."_

"I know, I've been there… I just… I want her to know that I'm here, you know? That she's not alone…through anything she's going through…"

_"Meg, listen to me. Sarah knows that. She knows. But there are some things a person wants to keep for himself. She's not a baby anymore. She has the right to keep some things private, like we all do. And there are some things at this certain age that she needs to overcome by herself. It's how she'll grow up and get stronger. If she feels like she needs help, she'll reach out... Don't try to sneak into her room, it'll make her even more aggressive. Just give her some time."_. Meg is crying in sobs at the other line of the phone.

_"Okay? Plus, her body is full of hormones. It's explainable. She'll come around._"

Meg giggles and sniffs her nose.

"Thanks Tony…I hope she will. I really do…", she sighs.

* * *

"Wow…woah, that was, um… wow!"

"I know…", Tony sais smiling. He turns on his side and hugs Meg, both of them naked under the covers.

"You know, um… it's probably not the best time to talk about this but…I'm going away for a couple of days, my mom came down with something and I'm gonna visit and see how she is. She's in Wisconsin…"

"Oh, Okay…"

"And… I need a favor."

"Of course, what is it?"

"Sarah can't miss her school right now, it's her finals and… I was wondering if maybe you could, like, keep an eye on her, while I'm gone? Plus, she and my mom don't get along, and she won't talk to me so it would probably not be the best idea to drag her with me right now… I know it's a lot to ask, but…"

"I can stay with Sarah for a couple of days. Don't worry about it, Meg."

"Really, Tony?"

"Of course." He kisses her on the forehead.

"Thanks… She doesn't need much care these days, as long as there's food in the fridge. She won't talk much, and she's better left alone, so she won't mind if you're at work all the time."

"Okay."

"Thank you Tony.", she smiles, kissing him.

* * *

Next day, Tony goes to work as usual. Sarah has been informed by her mother that she'd be gone for a couple of days, and that Tony would stop by to make sure she got everything.

Sarah comes home from school at 3 o'clock, when she receives a call from Tony.

_"Hey, Sarah, it's me. You got home okay?"_

"Hey…yeah I'm fine."

_"I got you a hum burger this morning and dropped it off, should be in your fridge, I figured you'd like it, just need to heat it up."_

"Oh, um…thanks."

_"No problem. I'll stop by when I'm off my shift, around 7. Wait for me little kid."_

"Okay, Bye Tony."


	6. I'm Right Here

_Major character breakdown. Oh I so love those ! _

* * *

"Sarah! I'm home.", Tony shouts, dropping the keys on the kitchen table. He takes his coat off and walks towards the couch where she is sitting."What are you doing?"

"Just watching TV. There's a good movie on…"

"Oh yeah? I could use some time to relax, too… Mind if I join ya?"

"Not really.", she shrugs.

He proceeds, taking a sit next to her. He wanted Sarah to become more intimate with and relaxed around him.

They sit in silence until commercials come on.

"Hey… can we talk for a moment? We...we need to discuss something. Just you and me, okay?"

"Um…okay.", she sais, and sits up to face him.

"I'm going to ask you a simple question. And I want to hear a simple answer for starters. Just a yes, or a no. And I want the truth from you, Sarah. I need you to believe that I will never share anything with Meg, if you don't want me to."

"Okay."

"Everything I might say, I will say it as your friend. Not as the guy who makes out with your mom, not as a stranger, not as a doctor, not as a father figure. Are we clear?" He looks her in the eye.

"Yeah…Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's okay.", he smiles. "I just want to talk to you".

"Okay."

"Are you happy, Sarah?"

Sarah doesn't quite understand his question.

"What…what do you mean?"

"I want to know if you're happy with your life."

Sarah is speechless, caught in shock. "…What-?"

"I just want you to tell me, how do you feel, in your soul. Do you feel happy with your life?"

"Wha…Tony, I don't know...I'm a teenager..."

"So, I guess the answer is no."

Sarah lowers her look.

"Your mom will be gone for today and tomorrow, so it's just you and me. Now... when I was young, my mom died from cancer, so it was just me and Dad. Well… Dad was an alcoholic, so I didn't really have the moral support I needed. And from what I remember, it felt really scary to be alone in this, and all that I wanted to have at the time, was someone that I could talk to. Only that. Not get any advice, not to chat… Just someone that could hear me out. To get everything I felt off of my body. And of course, my friends did that. And it felt okay. But I always reached for something more stable, someone who had gone through many things, to guide me through this one, too. Now, I don't mean to be any melodramatic here… But this is my story. And I was thinking that…maybe you needed this kind of help, too. Especially because you're a girl, and things are always harder for you guys."

Sarah laughs.

Tony reaches a hand over her knee and gently rubs it.

"So, my point is Sarah, that I am here for you. You can share with me anything you don't want your mom or your friends to know. Because I might be able to guide you and help you, with no consequences whatsoever. I don't want you to go through whatever it is you're dealing with, alone. Cause, I'm not gonna lie to you Sarah, it's pretty obvious that something's been bothering you."

Tony notices Sarah's eyes are watery.

"Come on Sarah. Whatever it is. Let it out. I'm right here.", he places his hands on her shoulders.

Sarah breathes heavily.

"I don't know , it's just… many things have been going on lately,and…"

"Sarah, look at me, look at me." He raises her head, touching her jaw.

"I'm right here for you, sweetheart. I want you to know that. My relationship with Meg has nothing to do with you. I don't want to help you because I love her.", he whispers. "I want to help you because I want to be here for you. Because you deserve to be happy. You're 14 years old, Sarah!" Tony smiles. He places his hands on the sides of her neck. "I'm all ears."

Sarah takes a big breath.

"This isn't the best period of my life… I mean. School is okay, my grades are fine, I have friends, which I think is really a blessing. We hung out, we talk about our problems, it's just… Since Dad left us, Meg has been going out with every single guy that steps on her way. She always thinks that something good will come out of it. I don't really think she has grieved enough over Dad leaving us. I never saw her cry, which would be the very obvious, cause she loved him. She got hurt, so she decided to get over it by dating other guys. I might have done the same thing if I was her, but… I don't think she takes time off to think about how I feel about all this… since he left, we have never talked about it. Only when we argued, she would say a word or two about how Dad failed her, and now I fail her too. She's always about how I mess up, you know? But I'm a person, I do mistakes. I'm young, it's how I'll learn. But she can't accept the fact that she might be doing mistakes too. She's very firm on her opinions and I… I can't stand that. I know she's just trying to be a good mom but…without having Dad, or at least a guy around to lighten things up… it's too hard."

"Have you ever talked about your feelings?"

"We have, several times and… she's just too firm. When I have a problem and I share it with her, either she'll get mad and blame me, or she'll give me advice which I consider wrong. But she'll always be the right one, and I'll be wrong… It drives me crazy, Tony! If we argue, even if I'm right, she'll manage to pull me out wrong! Like she's the only one with problems around here… I know she doesn't share her problems with anyone, and I know she needs a guy to do that, and I support her for that but… I would like to have some respect, I would like to be taken into consideration every once in a while…I'm sure you wouldn't guess any of this could be going on when you met us... It's hard to see or understand the situation when you're out of it. And all this, I have never told anyone, so I always wonder, am I wrong? Am I just overreacting? And maybe I am, but you asked what's on my mind…and that's what's on it…". She looks at him.

"Sweetheart. First of all, you have _every _right to feel this way. The situations you've been through are not easy. And frankly, I don't think you're crazy enough to make this up. But as you said, your mom has been through a lot, just as you have. She reacts to her problems a different way than you do. She chooses to date, you choose to lock yourself in your room all day, see my point? It's not your fault, what is happening Sarah. It's not your fault. You hear me?" .Sarah starts crying.

"You'll go through this. Both you and your mom. And it would be a lot easier if you just got along. And if you heard each other's side of the story. And I'm going to make sure that this happens, alright? Leave it on me girl. Because you love your mom. And your mom loves you. That's above all.". Sarah breaks down at that point.

"You're gonna get through this, you hear me? Come here.", he pulls her into a tight hug.

"Shhh…Breathe…Everything is gonna be alright. You'll see. Just have a little faith."

Sarah stayed in his arms. She didn't feel alone for the first time in many months. Time stopped, just right there.

Tony doesn't let her go. She holds her firmly, until she's ready to stand by herself.

"Get some sleep for me now, okay sweetheart? I want you to take each and every thought and throw it away for the next hours. Don't think, just be. And I'll be right here."

"You won't leave?"

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No."

"Then I'll stay. I'm not going anywhere."

Sarah smiles. She reaches for his hand.

"Thank you."

"From now on, whenever anything specific comes up, and you wanna talk, just come to me, okay? I'll be your friend, right here.", he taps his hand over his heart.

Sarah smiles, a smile coming from the heart.

"Now come on lady, time to go to bed." He leads her towards her room and on the bed. "And I tell you what; Tomorrow, once you come home from school I'm gonna take you out, we're gonna have some fun, okay? Just you and me.", He sais, while fixing up the covers over her.

"Okay."

"Now sleep.", he kisses her on the forehead.

"'Night"


	7. Snow Getaway

**Here's a light-hearted moment between the two! Hope you enjoy! Thank you so much Cheekymonkey97 for your continuous support! I really hope you like it and I'd love to get more reviews to know if I'm continuing this story sequence well!**

**4)My first relationship**

**Sarah's POV**

I knew from the moment I was up that it was going to be a great day. The snowfall had covered the most out of the Chicago streets around our neighborhood. And it's Saturday, which means, no school! Mom was already at work, it's a shame she had to work today. Oh shoot, I'd better get ready and stop daydreaming or I'll be late. I'm going out skating with Tony. Like my day could get any better!

I finish putting on my winter boots just as soon as I hear the doorbell ring. I run to open the door and embrace an excited looking Tony. "Hey little girl! Have you seen the weather outside?" he smiles brightly. "I know, we're gonna have a blast!" I reply. "Wait, I'll grab my backpack."

I follow him to his car and join in at the front passenger's seat. Many things have happened since the last time I saw him and I can't wait to fill him in.

"It's a shame Meg couldn't make it, she'd have a hell of a time."

"I know" I agree, "she promised to make it up next week, though. They called her in the last minute, probably something emergency". I like how he cares about Meg so much.

"So…what are you up to these days?" I ask with a smile on my face. "Um, nothing much. The hours at County are driving me crazy but, you know….it's worth it. You'll figure it out once you become a nurse yourself." Wow, how does he remember? I only suggested I wanted to be a nurse when I first met him. But that was months ago.

"Yeah, right…in ten years or so. I hope we'll still be talking so I can tell you all about my 4 hour shifts at that fancy rich private hospital in Miami where I'll be working." I laugh. None of this was my dream. I wanted to address people by heart, not by politeness because of the money they're worth.

"Oh…Sounds you've got it pretty sorted out." Wow, he's fallen for it? I look him with a suspicious eye. "Are you kiddin? I'd never want to work at a place like that, yikes."

"I know", he smiles. "Hey…we're here."

I step out as soon as he parks the car and gaze at the beautiful scenery. A rink-Olympic size, white trees circling it around, everything is white for as far as you can see… I'm not sure I've ever seen such a heavy snowfall before.

"Wow, how did you dig this place up?"

"Just because you aren't aware of the places where you live, doesn't mean I'm not." He suggests ironically.

_Nice one Tony. I'll get back at you later._

We quickly go to the entrance and change into skates. My heart is pounding like hell. I always loved ice skating, it's actually my favorite hobby, but I haven't been practicing a while. Not enough time, or maybe not in a good mood since my last step father's departure, or whatever he was.

Anyhow, my mood now is perfect, and there's another reason for that besides everything else.

As we skate along, I decide to reveal my news to Tony. "You remember that guy, Tom? Maybe you've seen him around the house, he visits a lot."

"Oh, long blonde hair, kind of lisping?". I chuckle "Yeah, that's right. We-we kinda are in a relationship. I made the first move last week."

Tony opens his mouth in shock. "Way to go girl! Always fearless and original! So, should we be talking about protection yet? Cause I think it's kinda early." He frowns.

"What-no!" I reply. I'm not even ready to proceed to that level emotionally. "I know it's early Tony, I'm not crazy"

"Well, you've been friends, as you say, for so long it would be easy to fall…and I don't want to see you get hurt."

I turn my head to look at him. He's staring at me in the eye with that mesmerizing, puppy maybe baby look-alike expression again.

I laugh.

"Tony, don't worry. I know I'm gonna get hurt pretty bad at some point, maybe not from Tom, but I also know that someone I really love is gonna be there to heal me…"

He smiles.

"…my Mom."

Now he laughs. "Uuuh back at me, straight through the heart…You little – Wait till I catch you!" he shouts while I'm accelerating away from him, blending into the crowd…

**Coming up next: Relationship advice by Meg and Tony! Hope it wasn't boring to read! Never tried that POV thing (believe it or not), but I loved how Cheekymonkey97 used it at her story "Save me" [which you should probably read because it's one of the best I've ever read] and hope I did it justice! If you have any comments to do, good or bad, please do so I can get better, only constructive critics please! **


	8. Relationship Advice

**Sarah's POV**

"So, relationship advice." Starts Tony

"No cheating."

"Definitely no cheating. And not this texting every five minutes thing. It will drive him crazy. I know from experience."

"Yeah" Meg nods. The two are sitting in front of me at the kitchen table. I'm really trying not to burst out laughing at them. I guess I knew this kind of conversation would come up eventually. I'm a grown up teenager now.

"Don't be too intimate with him. You can never be careful enough with men until they prove to you that you can truly trust them..." she gives a look out to Tony who smiles back.

"But he's my friend…I can trust him…Right?" I try and point out.

"I know. That's why you need to be double careful" Tony insists. I don't know why they insist so much but they must know something more than I do… "You never know what to expect from us when we are teens. I mean, when I was a teen…"

"Yeah, yeah, we got your point" she cuts him out. "Oh, I know this is uncomfortable to say and hear but…absolutely no sex until a reasonable amount of time passes"

"Like…a couple of months?"

"Well, you two know each other so yeah, about that much" sais Tony.

"Okay, really guys, thanks for the advice" I try to sneak out of the conversation but with no result whatsoever.

"But honey… there's another thing we need to discuss with you… you'll need to have the HPV vaccination before anything serious happens…"

"Uh… that's for cervical cancer?"

"That's right" Tony points out.

"Uh, okay…I suppose I can go to the ER today, Tony can do that right?" I look at him with a hopeful expression and the very best of my puppy eye look. But Tony tilts his head.

"The vaccine consists of three shots…It's a six month procedure." Meg continues.

"What? And why do I have to do it anyway, we've got a family history of cancer or something?"

"No, but I want you to do it just as a precaution. Most of the girls do it around your age so they don't get that type of cancer later on."

I look at Tony, kind of shocked.

"She's right Sarah. It's better to wait six months and get it done than having to remove your uterus and cervix ten years later. It's not a sure thing but it could happen. Why not prevent it now that you can?"

I sigh in defeat.

"Fine. I wasn't ready to move forward wih Tom anyway. Guess now I'll have a reasonable excuse at least!"

Meg and Tony smile to each other.

"When you're done with the vaccine, and if you're still in a relationship with Tom, we're going to talk, just the two of us, about getting serious for the first time." Meg tells me."And whenever you have a question about anything until then, remember you can ask me or Tony about it, okay? No need to feel uncomfortable at all, right Tony?"

"Of course."

I nod and walk out of the room, ready to deliver the news to Tom.

* * *

Tony's shift stars in an hour. I'll go with him so I get started on that HPV vaccine. I would normally be anxious about it, but I'm actually happy that Tony is doing it to me because I really hate needles, and I'm also excited to be meeting all the people he works with. I'm sure he'll make a big deal out of my visit.

"Helloo everyone!" Tony shouts with a big smile on his face. As we walk into the ER I catch myself looking around trying to absorb everything my eye can catch. The place, the doctors, the faces around me. Everything. It's not like the first time I got here, when grandma broke her arm. I feel different about this place now, and I don't even know why.

"Abby, Luka, Jerry, meet my girl friend Sarah!",he addresses three people, one of which has a gray working costume on, and the other two, wearing white coats are obviously doctors.

"Hello",I mumble and immediately blush. I hate that I blush all the time.

"Oh hey Sarah," the woman that must be Abby speaks out. "We've heard a lot about you! How come you visit us here? Wanted to see where Tony works?" she approaches me.

"Uhm, actually I'm here to get the HPV vaccine", I point out.

"Oh, good for you" she nods.

"Abby, look who's here." The man in the grey suit points to the ER doors, where a guy - probably drunk in my eyes - had just come through and fallen down.

"Oh...Didn't miss him since yesterday...He's all mine!" She sais holding her hands up in the air in a move of despair and walking towards him to help him onto a stretcher.

"Hey, you guys are hungry? I ordered pizza, there's still some left."

"No thanks Jerry. Can you tell me what's free?"

"Let's see... exam room 2"

"Okay, I'm taking Sarah for a shot, it won't be long." He places his arm over my shoulder and leads me through the ER. As we're walking, we stumble upon someone.

"Sam! Hey! I want you to meet Sarah. She's Meg's daughter." The beautiful brunette woman in a blue uniform looks at me. She is holding some medical supplies and blankets in one hand.

"Sarah! Nice to meet you I'm Sam! I've got a son that's about your age, his name is Alex. You guys should meet sometime! You've got a lot in common, as Tony has told me about you! Oh, is that you, you wanted to be a nurse right? I think he mentioned that sometime."

"Really?" I look at him, surprised.

"Yes, I could help you out anytime, tell you what's the job of a nurse, describe you everything you want to know. It would be my pleasure!"

"Thank you so much, that would be nice" I smile. People are so polite and genuine around here. That's hard to believe with the stress they're facing everyday.

"Okay, gotta go, bring her in someday so I can show her some stuff okay?" she tells Tony.

"Sure. Thanks Sam" the beautiful woman walks away and we keep going until a room with a big blue sign by the door that reads "Exam Room 2" stands before us.

"Okay, let's get this thing over with before you get too frightened. You sure know how to get back home with the bus?" he sais while taking out his jacket and looking around, grabbing some stuff.

"Yeah I know, don't worry." I say, taking a sit on the bed.

"Wait, I'll be right back." he says quickly walking out of the room.

I get out of my coat and take a big breath in and and exhale. I can't believe how much my life has changed over the past months...

"Hey..." he comes back holding a small box. Probably the fluid for the vaccine.

Okay, I'm ready for this.

He takes a sit on the chair in front of me putting a pair of gloves on. He looks at me several times while sterilizing an area of my arm with a piece of cotton. I look at him smiling. He smiles back. "Looks like you're handling it better than the other time, I could tell you were scared to death."

"I was NOT!" I try. He obviously knows how to read his patients' feelings.

He grabs the needle and inserts it into the little bottle. I am so ready for his. I'm not crying like I used to when I was little. Huge progress here.

Was I daydreaming again? I just saw him taking the needle out of my arm.

"That's it?" I ask.

"Yeah."

"Wow, I didn't even notice."

"Yeah, I am THAT gentle." he puts a small round bandage over it.

"You wish" I reply sarcastically. "Okay, I'm gonna catch the bus home now, I need to study for tomorrow's biology exam." I put my coat back on and hop off the bed.

"Okay, hey hey hey!" I stop right at the door. "Doesn't the kind doctor deserve a kiss for giving you the shot?"

I smile and walk over and kiss him on the chick.

"Uugh bye silly one! Kiss your mom goodnight for me, okay?"

"Okay", I reply, closing the door behind me.

**So...tell me what do you guys think? :) The next chapters will probably be more interesting and dramatic! I've been having writer's block for quite some time now but I think it's getting better!**


	9. Sun, June 22nd In The ER

Sun, June 22nd

Today was the first day of my summer vacation, and I had the BEST time ever! I woke up at 6 am (which I was not particularly looking forward to do…) and got ready for a day in the ER. If I had to describe it in one word, I would have to say…shocking. It was a bit different than I expected in the first place. Everybody welcomed me warmly and I was introduced to more members of the stuff and friends of Tony. Sam made sure I even got my own nurse's uniform to wear as I followed her around through her missions. From 7 am to 9 am I was constantly behind her; we were doing rounds, checking on already admitted patients' status. She even showed me how to take someone's blood pressure and how to use the stethoscope. She explained to me how various instruments,the names of which I can't even remember, work while using them on a patient. I was then reunited with Tony and we went to the coffee shop opposite the ER to have a proper breakfast. He could see the excitement in my eyes and how much I loved my new uniform. I was already ready for more.

When our break was over we went back into the ER and Tony let me follow him as things were kinda slow. I even got to show him what I had learned from Sam earlier on and took a patient's temperature and blood pressure, of course under his supervision. I was astounded by myself and my courage and he couldn't believe his eyes! Briefly after that, I had to stay at the ER lobby and help Jerry organize some charts, because several critical cases were being rushed into the ER demanding not only Tony's, but most of the stuff's attention. I watched the doctors running to them, the paramedics shouting, the nurses eager to give urgent help. God I loved the rush I felt in my stomach each time there was something serious going on. I was afraid, but I also felt fully alert.

Around 12:30 Abby took me on the second floor where was the NICU. They had a large room where they had all those babies together, I literally couldn't stare enough! They were SO cute, only hours, maybe a few days old! I passed a good one hour up there. Tony had to come up there and drag me down. He seemed very happy that I was with him today, but he was obviously a bit afraid with all those kinds of people coming and going into the ER, that I could get hurt. But of course, nothing like that happened. Shortly before the end of Tony's shift around 3 pm, a tall guy with brown hair and a foreign accent, whom I assumed was Luka from the other day, announced that there were pizzas delivered in the lobby. Those guys must have a great time working over there. Ordering pizzas and stuff… Anyhow, I got a couple of slices and shared a couple of laughs with Tony's friends before I headed home with him. I wanted to write this down so I'd never forget this special day; my first ever hospital "shift"!

"_My heart is high_

_As the waves above me_

_And I, I will remember how to fly_

_Unlock the heavens in my mind"_

I'm finally alive

Happy, and alive:)

* * *

**Tony's POV**

God, I couldn't be more grateful that everything worked out well today. First off, well, I didn't kill anybody. Second of all, Sarah had an amazing time. She said she loved it there. She became friends with almost everybody. She even talked with Sam about going to her house on Friday night and meeting Alex. She's so outgoing. I really think that she might like working in such an environment and I'm happy that I helped her figure it out. Sarah is a very smart girl, she is so grown up for her age. I believe she'll have a great career whatever she chooses. Yeah, a looong and healthy career...long and...[starts snoring]

"Tony! Dinner's ready!"

Well, that's about my afternoon nap.

* * *

**I added there in the end some lyrics from the song Secret Door by Evanescence, just because I have gotten seriously hooked on their songs lately, and the meaning of the lyrics seemed to match Sarah's mood! Tell me what you think:)**


	10. My Heart Is Broken

**How will Tony and Sarah cope when the unimaginable happens? All lyrics belong to Amy Lee!**

**5) My Heart Is Broken - Tony's POV**

* * *

_Catch me_

_As I fall_

_Say you're here and it's all over now_

_Speaking to the atmosphere_

_No one's here and I fall into myself_

_This truth drives me _

_Into madness…_

"He tried to hurt me, Tony… He grabbed me and he threw me on the floor…He-He touched me. And I tried to fight…"

That was it. The worst phone call I've had in my whole life. I run out of bed like crazy in the middle of the night. Put on a shirt and pants that were left over the chair as I inform Meg about what just happened. She freaks out. I get my cell, grab the car keys and we're out of the house.

As I try to stay calm while driving, I start reflecting on the situation. Sarah was supposed to have a sleepover to her friend Kate's. Where the hell did she go? Did she lie?

"What? Did someone hurt you?"

Silence on the other end.

"Who hurt you Sarah?"

"…Tom."

I can't believe that bastard tried to hurt her. What did he do to her? I can't help but let my mind think of the worst. No way… There's no way he… That's too much to absorb. I can't believe the scenarios that are taking place all over my head.

"What? Sarah where are you?"

"I'm in the park that's near Kate's house…I-I'm alone."

"Is he gone?"

"Yes. He's gone."

"Okay, stay right there. I'm on my way."

Meg is crying on the passenger's seat. She's trying not to lose her mind. I'm trying not to lose my mind. The streets flash by so quickly. No cars around as I rush through red lights. We should have been more careful. I should have been more careful…

"Tony, I don't see her."

"She said she's here. Let's go find her, I'll leave the car lights on." We both get out of the car and into the park. Covered in the darkness, it's almost impossible to distinguish anything, any lines, any form of life. My heart is racing as I keep screaming her name.

"Sarah! Sarah where are you?"

Nothing.

"Sarah!" tries Meg.

I hear footsteps in the long distance.

We both stop in an instant. The footsteps sound more close now. More frequent. She's running. It's her.

* * *

**Sarah's POV**

My feet can barely hold me anymore. The cold is making me shiver, taking away what's left of me. Why did this have to happen to me? I was perfectly fine, I was happy for the first time since…forever. Guess I can't be happy for very long, can I? Like it wouldn't be fair. I get the chills down my spine every time I hear a noise near me.

_I'm frightened by what I see_

_Immobilized by my fear_

_And soon to be_

_Blinded by tears…_

Oh God, Tony where are you? Wait…I think I hear something. It's them! I try to run towards them as fast as I am possibly able to. It's really impossible to see anything; it's too dark. I'm afraid I'll stumble and fall. I run towards the voices. I run and I lose myself in the arms of my Mom.

"Take me away from here" I whisper and hope she hears me, my voice trembling from fear. Tony is next to her. He's talking. Probably to me, but I can't hear him. I can't. I just want to get out of here.

* * *

**Tony's POV**

"Sarah are you okay? God what happened to you we got so worried!" I try, and hold my arms around them. She doesn't seem to apprehend my words. "God, Sarah…" I am so relieved we found her… I rest my head over her's. But she resists.

"Okay, let's get you into the car sweetheart, everything's okay. You're safe now." Meg fondles with her hair and holds her head reassuringly.

I open the door and help the two of them get in.

"Honey how do you feel? Are you okay?" I speak as quietly as I can.

"I don't know…" she responds tiredly.

"It's okay, lie down and close your eyes now. We'll be home soon. Mom is gonna get you cleaned up and put you into bed to rest as long as you want" Meg sais to her, gently whipping her tears away.

The drive home is silent. I can hear Sarah's gentle sobs from the back seat. It breaks my heart. It breaks my heart that he broke her heart. This won't heal easily, I know.

I park the car outside the house and open the front door for them. I lock it as many times as it will let me.

"What do you want me to do?" I ask as she leads Sarah towards the bathroom.

"Just take out a pair of pyjamas from her closet, you know where they are?"

"No, but I'll find them."

"Put them on the bed. And find some alcohol and cotton, she's got wounds all over."

My eyes are left with a blank stare towards the floor. Is this really happening?

* * *

**Sarah's POV**

_I pulled away to face the pain_

_I close my eyes and drift away_

"Let's get rid of these clothes, shall we?"

No. I will resist.

"Honey, it's okay, it's just you and me. We're alone. No one can hurt you now. I promise."

I can't even look at you. Strength abandons my whole being.

"I'll just clean you up with some water, and then we're gonna sleep together. I'll take care of you through the night. You won't be alone. Mom is here."

My body feels numb. I can feel the pain through my skin as the water pours over me. But it is distant, scarce. I feel like I'm not myself. What had just happened? I need for this to be over.

"There you go… all done. Now let's get you prepped for bed."

She covers me around with a towel. My feet still trembling, I hardly manage my way to my bedroom. I lie on my bed, feeling numb. I can't move.

_I'm dying again_

_I'm going under _

_Drowning in you _

_I'm falling forever _

_I've got to break through…_

* * *

"How is she?" Tony asks Meg as she comes out closing the bedroom's door.

"How could she be?..." I sigh. "Listen. I think it would be better if I stayed with her tonight. Maybe you should go back to your apartment."

"Oh… a-are you sure?"

"I think it might be better to let a few days pass before she has a guy around her… I'll tell you if we need anything."

"Will you call me as soon as you know what happened? If that guy molested her we'll have to do some exams before it's too late."

"Will do."

"Please take good care of her, Meg."

"I will. Don't worry Tony. Go home. I'll call you tomorrow."

* * *

**Sarah's POV**

"Okay pumpkin. Let's both get some rest now, okay? Clean your mind off, we'll talk about it tomorrow, when it'll all be better."

I sigh and close my eyes. She lies besides me, tucking me into a hug. I place my head securely over her chest and wish she never leaves me. Will I be able to sleep?

"Shh. Relax. Sing a melody in your mind. It'll help you fall asleep."

No tears coming out this time. I'm all drained.

_I close my eyes and drift away over the fear_

_That I will never find a way to heal my soul_

_And I will wander until the end of time_

_Torn away from you_

_My heart is broken_

_Sweet sleep, my dark angel…_


End file.
